A living body of mammals has immune response systems that excludes pathogenic microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc.) or foreign bodies (both are called “antigen” in the following) that have invaded the living body. One of them is called natural immune response system, another acquired immune response system. The former is an exclusion mechanism comprising phagocytosis by phagocytes (polymorphonuclear leukocytes, monocytes, macrophages, etc.), attack by natural killer (NK) cells, and non-specific recognition such as opsonization of antigen by complements. The latter, acquired immune response system, is an exclusion mechanism by lymphocytes (mainly, T cells and B cells) that acquired the specificity to the antigen (namely, activated lymphocytes). B cells that acquired antigen specificity attack the antigen existing outside of the cells through production of antibodies specific to the antigen. T cells that acquired antigen specificity (namely, activated T cells) are classified into helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells (cytotoxic lymphocyte, CTL). The helper T cells regulate a differentiation of B cells and a production of antibodies, and destroy the antigen cooperating with phagocytes. The latter, CTLs attack virus-infected cells and so on by themselves (Experimental Medicine: SUPPLEMENT, “Bio Science Term Library, Immunity”, Yodosha, pp. 14-17 (1995)).
This acquisition of antigen specificity by T cells (namely, activation of T cells) is initiated through recognition by T cells the antigen presented by antigen-presenting cells (APC) such as macrophage, B cells, or dendritic cells. Antigen-presenting cells process the antigens so incorporated and present these processed antigens through binding them to major histocompatibility complex (MHC). T cells receive primary signal for activation of the cells (or acquisition of specificity) by recognizing the processed antigens presented by antigen-presenting cells through a complex between T cell receptor (TcR) and CD3 antigen existing on the surface of the cell membrane (TcR/CD3 complex).
However, the TcR/CD3 complex-mediated primary signal alone cannot activate T cells sufficiently and leads to unresponsiveness or clonal anergy, so that the cells can not react with any stimulation received thereafter. The autocrine of interleukin 2 (IL-2) is necessary for T cells to be activated, to be differentiated into antigen specific T cell clones, and to be proliferated. In clonal anergy, T cells are inactivated due to no production of IL-2 and such and no cell division. Namely, the activation of T cells accompanied by production of cytokines such as IL-2 requires the secondary signal following the first signal through TcR/CD3 complex. This secondary signal is called costimulatory signal.
T cells receive this secondary signal and transmit it into the cells by interacting (cell adhesion) with molecules other than MHC on antigen-presenting cells through molecules other than TcR/CD3 complex on the T cell surface. This secondary signal avoids cell anergy (clonal anergy) and activates the cells.
Although some part of the mechanism of the secondary signal transmission between antigen-presenting cells and lymphocytes such as T cells have not yet been elucidated in detail, studies so far have revealed that an important factor for the secondary signal transmission is the interaction of CD28 (also named Tp44, T44, or 9.3 antigen), which is a cell surface molecule expressed mainly on T cells and thymus cells, with CD80 (also named B7-1, B7, BB1, or B7/BB1), which is a cell surface molecule expressed on antigen-presenting cells (macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, etc.) and with CD86 (also named B7-2 or B70), which is also a cell surface molecule on antigen-presenting cells (namely, cell adhesion through the binding between these molecules). Moreover, it has been experimentally elucidated that the interaction of Cytolytic T lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), whose expression is thought to be enhanced depending on the secondary signal, with the CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2) (namely, cell adhesion through the binding between these molecules) also plays an important role in the regulation of T cell activation by the secondary signal. In other words, the regulation of T cell activation by the transmission of the secondary signal involves at least the interaction between CD28 and CD80/CD86, the enhancement of CTLA-4 expression, which is thought to depend on the interaction, and the interaction between CTLA-4 and CD80/CD86.
CD28 is known to be a costimulator molecule transmitting the secondary signal (costimulatory signal) required for the activation of T cells and for the avoidance of anergy. The secondary signal transmitted by binding this molecule to costimulator molecules, CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2), on antigen-presenting cells (cell adhesion through the binding between these molecules), stabilizes mRNA of Th1-type cytokines and consequently promotes production by T cells of a large amount of Th1-type cytokines such as IL-2, IFNγ, and TNFα. The expression of CTLA-4 is induced by the primary signal transmitted through TcR/CD3, and the expression is also enhanced by the secondary signal transmitted by the binding between CD28 and CD80. It is being revealed that CTLA-4 receives these signals to work to inhibit T cell function, which is contrary to the activation of T cells by the secondary signal transmitted by CD28.
Human CD28 and CTLA-4 are type I glycoproteins whose molecular weights are 44 kD and 41 to 43 kD, respectively. Both have an immunoglobulin-like domain, belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily, and have both function as a cell adhesion molecule and function as a signal transmission molecule.
Human CD28 forms a homodimer with a disulfide bond while CTLA-4 exists as a monomer. Both CD28 and CTLA-4 genes are located at “2q33” on human chromosome and “1C” on mouse chromosome, and are composed of four (4) exons. Human CD28 and CTLA-4 are composed of 220 and 223 amino acids, respectively, including the leader sequences, and amino acid homology between them is 20 to 30%.
The ligands for CD28 and CTLA-4 are CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2) in human and mice. CTLA-4 has about 20 times as high affinity to both ligands as CD28. It has been elucidated that the amino acid sequence structures “MYPPPY (Met-Tyr-Pro-Pro-Pro-Tyr)” conserved through animal species is important for the binding of CD28 and CTLA-4 to CD80 (B7-1). It has also been reported that, when CD28 is stimulated, PI3 kinase (phosphoinositide 3 kinase, PI3K) associates with the phosphorylated tyrosine residue in a partial sequence “YMNM (Tyr-Met-Asn-Met)” of CD28 and that CD28 plays an important role in intracellular signal transmission through this “YxxM” structure. Furthermore, it has been reported that CTLA-4 also has a sequence represented by “YxxM,” namely “YVKM (Tyr-Val-Lys-Met)” in its cytoplasmic region and that, after being stimulated, SYP associates with this sequence.
CD28 is expressed specifically in thymocytes and peripheral blood T cells, and CTLA-4 is expressed specifically in activated T cells (Cell Engineering: SUPPLEMENT, “Handbook of Adhesion Molecule”, Shujunsha, pp. 93-102 (1994); ibid. pp. 120-136; Experimental Medicine: SUPPLEMENT, “BIO SCIENCE Term Library, Immunity”, Yodosha, pp. 94-98 (1995); Experimental Medicine: SUPPLEMENT, “BIOSCIENCE Term Library, Intracellular Signal Transduction”, Yodosha, pp. 58-59 (1997); Nihon Rinsho, Vol. 55, No. 6, pp. 215-220 (1997)).
In the regulation of T cell function (the activation and the inhibition of function of T cells), the importance of interactions among multiple molecules such as costimulator molecules (CD28, CD80 (B7-1), CD86 (B7-2), etc.) and CTLA-4, which cooperates with them, (in other words, cell adhesion through the binding between these molecules) has thus been recognized, and this has been drawn attention to the relationship between these molecules and diseases, and the treatment of diseases by regulating the function of these molecules.
As described above, although a living body activates its acquired immune response system against antigens that are foreign bodies to the living body (self), it also has immunological tolerance so as to show no immune response against its own component (autoantigen). If immunological tolerance breaks down by some reason, immune response to the autoantigen occurs, autoantigen-reactive T cells are induced by the same mechanism as mentioned above to fall into abnormal state of immunity, and various autoimmune diseases are caused.
In other words, since non-stimulated antigen presenting cells (APC) in normal tissues do not express costimulatory molecules when the immune system of a living body is normal, T cells are in the unresponsiveness state to maintain immunological tolerance even if autoantigen-reactive T cells, which reacts with autoantigen, exist. It has been suggested that in abnormal state of immunity, more autoantigen-reactive T cells are activated due to abnormal excess and continuous expression of costimulatory molecules to thereby cause autoimmune diseases.
From such viewpoints recently, many attempts to treat various autoimmune diseases by modulating the transmission of costimulatory signals, for example, the above-mentioned signal transmission between CD28/CTLA-4 and CD80/CD86, are proposed.
The results of such attempts have not yet clarified in detail the mechanism of the T cell activation by interaction between costimulatory molecules and the related molecules (in other words, cell adhesion through the binding between these molecules). Other unknown molecules may be involved in this mechanism.
Recently, the present inventors have successfully identified and isolated a novel cell membrane surface molecule derived from mammals (human, mouse and rat) considered as a molecule which transmits the secondary signal (a costimulatory signal) necessary for the activation of lymphocytes, for example T cells, and controls the function of the activated lymphocytes, for example, activated T cells, by working with the signal, in the same manner as in the above “CD28” and “CTLA-4” and designated the molecule “JTT-1 antigen” or “JTT-2” (Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (JP-A) No. Hei 11-29599; WO98/38216; Int. Immunology, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 51-55, 2000). The present inventors later change the name of these molecules to AILIM (activation inducible lymphocytes immunomodulatory molecule).
From the studies by the present inventors, the following knowledge has been acquired about this novel molecule AILIM.    (1) AILIM has the following similarity with “CD 28”, a cell surface molecule of a lymphocyte, for example, T cells, which transmits a costimulatory signal important for the activation of T cells, mediated by intercellular adhesion, and with “CTLA-4”, a cell surface molecule of a lymphocyte, for example, T cells, which controls the function of activated lymphocytes, such as activated T-cells, working with the signal.
1. 20 or more amino acid residues including cysteine residues are highly conserved.
2. Proline repeating sequence “Pro-Pro-Pro (PPP)” essential as the ligand binding region, is conserved in the extracellular region.
3. A sequence “Tyr-Xaa-Xaa-Met (YxxM)” (Xaa and x represents any amino acid) sequence essential as the signal transmitting region is conserved in the cytoplasmic region.
4. A location of the gene encoding “mouse AILIM (mouse JTT-1 antigen)” on the mouse chromosomes is “1C3”, same as those for mouse “CD28” and “CTLA-4”.    (2) In the same manner as in “CD28” and “CTLA-4” having the function mediating intercellular adhesion, “AILIM (JTT-1 antigen)” has the ability of mediating cellular adhesion between thymus cells and lymphoblast cells and thymoma cells stimulated by mitogen, for example, ConA.    (3) AILIM is strongly expressed at least in thymus cells, lymphoblast cells stimulated by mitogen such as ConA (activated T-lymphoblast cells, and activated B-lymphoblast cells), peripheral blood lymphocytes, and thymoma cells.    (4) An antibody against AILIM (JTT-1 antigen) significantly proliferates human peripheral blood lymphocytes and higher proliferation is induced by co-existing with a monoclonal antibody against CD3 constituting TcR/CD3 complex on T cells which receives the first signal from antigen-presenting cells essential for the activation of T cells.    (5) The condition of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is alleviated by administering an antibody against AILIM (JTT-1 antigen).    (6) By the administering an antibody against AILIM (JTT-1 antigen) a glomerular basement membrane (GMB) nephritis model rat, the condition is alleviated.
After the report of the identification and characterization analysis of AILIM by the present inventors, the group of Kroczek et al. has reported the identification of a molecule named ICOS (inducible costimulator) or 8F4, an identical molecule to AILIM derived from human, or the molecule designated 8F4 (Nature, Vol. 397, pp. 263-266, 1999; WO99/15553).
Only the above has been reported about AILIM (alternatively called: JTT-1 antigen, JTT-2 antigen, ICOS, or 8F4), and its biological functions and relationship with diseases have not been revealed in details yet.
On the other hand, novel molecules celled B7h, B7RP-1, GL50 or LICOS which are considered as a ligand interacting with this costimulatory transmission molecule AILIM have been identified very recently (Nature. Vol. 402, No. 6763, pp. 827-832, 1999; Nature Medicine, Vol. 5, No. 12, pp. 1365-1369, 1999; J. Immunology, Vol. 164, pp. 1653-1657, 2000; Curr. Biol., Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 333-336, 2000).
The identification of these two kinds of novel molecules, namely AILIM (ICOS) and B7RP-1 (B7h, GL50, LICOS), as the signal transduction pathway for the costimulatory signal essential for the above activation of lymphocytes such as T cells, and the control of the function of activated T cells, revealed that there is the novel third pathway by the interaction between AILIM (ICOS) and B7RP-1 (B7h, GL50, LICOS), besides the known first and second signal pathways which are already known transduction pathway between CD28 and CD80 (B7-1)/CD86 (B7-2) and that between CTLA4 and CD80 (B7-1)/CD 86 (B7-2).
Studies on the biological functions of these novel molecules, the function control of lymphocytes, such as T cells, through this third costimulatory signal transduction by the molecules, and the relationship between the novel signal transduction and diseases are in progress.